Repent and turn from your evil ways

 

 

 

“Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it: if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity: but thou hast delivered thy soul. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezk.33:9,11).

 

When God is about to bring the sword upon a land, he will first raise up a watchman to warn the people to turn from their wicked ways. The prophet Jonah was successful in turning the Gentiles of Nineveh, but the prophet Ezekiel was not successful with Israel in turning them. The watchman is to blow the trumpet and warn the people – he has a warning ministry. And this is his warning – “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways” – (vs.11). (Is.58:1) says, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins.” His is not so much a prophetic message but strong soul winning preaching. Prophecy preaching can win souls if you use salvation. Many watchmen on the Web all preach prophecy – but forget repentance and salvation in Christ. We must never omit the gospel of Christ – never.

 

Ezekiel was a prophet, but he had a special calling to be a bible watchman and forewarn the people as many other prophets did also. When the sword of the Lord’s judgment is about to fall upon a nation, he will send forth a prophet-preacher with the sword of the Lord in his mouth, using it like a loud trumpet and giving no uncertain sound – straight and true. People must be warned to repent before God’s judgment falls. If enough people repent, God will turn from his wrath.

 

Repentance is a turning away from sin and turning back to the Lord Jesus. It is repentance and faith, which are two sides of the same coin. By repentance, one turns away from sin and by faith one turns to the Lord – a two-fold turning. It is turn ye, turn ye – repent ye, repent ye or God’s judgment will fall upon you. The warning is TURN OR BURN. Only a few good men will have this ministry – only a very brave man will do it. He must be strong and very courageous and God will make him that way as he did with Ezekiel – “Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder then flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house” –

(Ezk.3:8-9).

 

(Ezk.3:1-9) shows us how God made Ezekiel strong. He had to consume God’s word – he had to eat God’s book. God put him on a Bible diet. “Then did I eat it and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness” – (Ezk.3:3). Food for the soul – spiritual food. Bible bread and manna from heaven with honey on it. “And Jesus answered him saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” – (Luke 4:4). He must love the Bible and it must be in his mouth sweet as honey. He must learn the entire Bible and put on all the armour of God in order to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might – (Eph.6:10). He must fill his bowels with God’s words in order to have the boldness and intestinal fortitude to preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Jeremiah was also such a man – “Thy words were found and I did eat them” – (Jer.15:16). And again “If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way” – (Jer.26:3). Jeremiah was a bible watchman.

 

God made Ezekiel strong as a rock, as an adamant harder than flint. He was God’s Bible Rock before Peter was. Isaiah the prophet was also a rock for God – “Therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” – (Is.50:7). We need more courage in the pulpit, not more college. We need more rocks as hard as diamonds to cut through hearts hardened by sin. O, Ezekiel was an adamant – unshakable, unmovable. He preached the word of God with boldness – bold as a lion. When God calls a man to be a Bible watchman, he makes him fit for the calling. He eats and fills his bowels with the Bible as the Holy Spirit teaches him.

 

When Elijah comes back again as one of the two witnesses of (Rev.11) he will also be such a man. He comes soon now just before the great tribulation. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the children , and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” – (Mal.4:5,6). He will preach to turn the whole world from their wickedness back to the Lord Jesus as he did on Mt. Carmel with Israel. He will have also a turning ministry.

 

John the Baptist was a watchman with a ‘turning ministry’ also. “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just: to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” – (Luke 1:15,16). He came warning the people and preaching Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” – (Mt.3:2) – “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come.” And again “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” – (Mt.3:7,12). John the Baptist, strong like a rock, with a turn or burn ministry – amen. Bold sinners need bold reprovers. He was out in the wilderness preparing for his day of showing by eating honey and consuming the Bible. And he turned many from their sins and turned them to the Lord Jesus. Turn ye, turn ye – repent ye, repent ye – Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin” – (Ezk.18:30).

 

O God give us such a man. Give us such a prophet to set up that which is upset. To call into line those who are out of line. He will be fully accepted of God and almost totally rejected by men, even other good men. He will unstop the ears of many who are spiritually deaf. In this day of crooked politicians and cowardly preachers, there is not a more national need than God giving us such a prophet. He will have a ‘turning ministry’ and preaching turn or burn as this whole world heads straight into a fiery Armageddon. He will preach – repent ye and turn by faith to the Lord Jesus for the millennial kingdom of God is at hand. He will not be voted “man of the year” but probably be killed like the prophets and the Lord Jesus for preaching the truth. He will be unpopular because he opposes the popular sins of his day. He will be violently hated by wicked people and yet very loved by God.

 

O we absolutely need such a man in the U.S. A prophet with a turning ministry and a warning ministry before God’s judgment falls on U.S. A prophet who preaches repentance from sin and turning by faith to the Lord Jesus to be saved. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn form their wicked ways; then  will I hear from heaven; and will forgive  their sin, and will heal their land” – (2 Chr.7:14). Hear what God says about out nation – “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them” – (Jer.18:7-8). If we turn from our evil, God will turn from his wrath upon us. The U.S. must repent or perish – turn or burn.

 

Warn is in the bible 29 times, 15 times in (Ezk.3 and 33). The bible watchman is the main warner for God. Time Warner Corp. bought AOL in 2001 and this is an excellent way for a God’s Warner to preach to the whole world (Of course, many will not allow these prophet preachers on their sites). These are the ones who preach often about Elijah but wouldn’t have an Elijah within 5 miles of their pulpit.

 

God’s last two prophets, his two witnesses, will be God’s last two bible watchmen who preach during the tribulation (Rev. 11). They will have the spirit and power of Elijah as John the Baptist had. They will prepare the way for the second coming of the Lord Jesus. They will be two warners preaching repentance to a wicked world and will actually call down some of the wrath of God upon wicked people who will not take heed to their warning trumpet. First they must eat God’s book like Ezekiel and John the Baptist did – (Rev.10:8-11). These two men are in hiding until the day of their showing forth – (Luke 1:80).

 

They are two candlesticks for the Lord Jesus – two bright shining lights preaching God’s truth straight and true, two John the Baptists burning and shining for Christ, filled with the Holy Ghost. They bear witness to the Lord Jesus who is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Two light bulbs for God, shedding light in a dark world. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” – (Ps.119:105). They are very unpopular with the worldly, unsaved crowd and are hated by them as they hate Christ. Their preaching and smiting the earth with plagues make them very unpopular. They are murdered by the Beast after preaching in Jerusalem after their 1260 day ministry is finished. Until then they are under God’s witness protection plan. They are refused burial and their bodies are left on the street in Jerusalem and people worldwide throw a giant party and rejoice and make merry over their deaths. But after 3 ½ days, they resurrect and ascend up to heaven as God vindicates their ministry like the Lord Jesus’ ministry.

 

They are clothed in sackcloth, signifying repentance and they preach repentance to the whole world. Turn ye, turn ye – repent ye, repent ye is their message. They blow the trumpet loud and clear and give warning to the whole world. Whosoever turns from their sins and turns to Christ by faith will be saved. But only a remnant does and God’s tribulation judgment falls. But the world cannot plead ignorance as they heard the truth. Yet shall they know that two prophets had preached and they are without excuse. Turn or burn is their message before a fiery Armageddon burns up the world.

 

Have you turned from your wickedness and sins and turned to the Lord Jesus for remission of sins? If you’re saved and born again in Christ then the Lord has turned his wrath from you. Choose eternal life and not eternal death in the lake of fire, which is the second death. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” – (Jn.3:36). “And whosoever was not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” – (Rev.20:15).

 

TURN OR BURN!

 

Pastor Mike Storti

5000 N. LaCholla- Lot 76

Tucson, AZ  85705

Email: BibleWatchman@aol.com

Website: BibleWatchman.com